Watch: Sotheby's Anatomy of a Sale: Part 4: Auction Day

The final installment of James Zemaitis' series Anatomy of a Sale, where he takes us through the auction process for Sotheby's What Modern Is sale.

Icons: Sean Connery + Gaetano Pesce's Up 5 Chair

Most likely on the set of 1971's Diamonds are Forever.  Via the modern love tumblr.

Watch: Sotheby's Anatomy of a Sale: Part 3: The Exhibition

Part 3 of James Zemaitis' series Anatomy of a Sale, where he takes us through the auction process for Sotheby's upcoming What Modern Is sale.

Fresh Finds: Eames + McCobb: Aluminum + Planner Group

An impressive piece from McCobb's Planner Group, a modular system of stacking units he designed in 1949. This 4-drawer chest is actually comprised of 3 units: a table base, a single drawer unit, and a triple drawer unit. McCobb's trademark ring-pulls are all intact.






A classic Management Chair from the Eames Aluminum Group (check out my previous post on the history of this iconic design). This example has been reupholstered in a deep wine nubby fabric. The pedestal base features sculpted polished aluminum legs, denoting second series production.

Signed with impressed factory marks. Multiple chairs are available.


Via Modern Love, with many more great finds to come.

Daily Dose: A Bird's Eye View

Via the modern love tumblr, via tokyo-bleep. A great but uncredited photo, please leave a comment if you know the project or the photographer.

Classic Spaces: John Lautner: Garcia Residence a.k.a. The Rainbow House: Los Angeles

A look inside John Lautner's Rainbow House, built in 1964 for jazz legend Russ Garcia.

Fittingly furnished with touches of Hollywood Glam, including Milo Baughman lounge chairs, Karl Springer freeform brass tables, a Willy Daro Agate Table Lamp, brass lotus pendants, an Achille Castigliano Arco lamp, and one rather amazing bed by Charles Hollis Jones. Also spotted is a rare Jean Gillon Captain's Chair and Ottoman.

The video is from Oliver Peoples recent campaign, set inside this very home.

The top photo is by Julius Shulman, the rest are by Francois Dischinger.

Via L'Esprit Nouveau.

Watch: Design Culture in Portlandia

"It seems as if Portlandia's Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are having a great time poking fun at the design-conscious members of the population. First they skewered bird decor in their skit Put a Bird on It, and now they're back with a closer look at design-obsessed homeowners in this house-sitting skit, which gets a guest assist from Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza." - casasugar.



And don't forget Portlandia's amusing look at the creatives at Wieden + Kennedy:

Favorite Picks: Wright: Modern Design

Beautiful and rare works of 20th Century Design will be hitting the market on March 31, in Wright's bi-annual sale Modern Design.  These are my favorite picks:


Jacques Adnet folding chairs from the S.S. France.

A spiraling horn candelabra by Carl Auböck.

Freeform brass tables by Karl Springer.

A Milo Baughman circular sofa with table.

A pre-production Eames DAX chair.

A glass and brass Fontana Arte Sconce.

A Pierre Jeanneret lounge chair from Chandigarh, India.

A lounge chair and ottoman by George Nakashima.

A pair of exquisite Tommi Parzinger table lamps.


See the full preview at Wright.

Watch: Sotheby's Anatomy of a Sale: Part 1 + 2

Part 1 and 2 of James Zemaitis' series Anatomy of a Sale, where he takes us through the auction process for Sotheby's upcoming What Modern Is sale.

Favorite Picks: Sotheby's: 20th Century Design + What Modern Is

Some fine pieces of 20th Century Design will be hitting the market on March 10, in Sotheby's 2 part sale: 20th Century Design, and What Modern Is: The Collection of Mark McDonald.  These are my favorite picks:

An articulated table lamp by Arredoluce.

A glamorous brass pyramid lamp by Gabriella Crespi.

An early 1927 Poul Henningsen table lamp.

A fine leather, wood, and steel sofa by Warren Platner.

A multi-colored glass dish by Ettore Sottsass.

Glass sculptures by Oiva Toikka.

A blue talosel-resin Line Vautrin mirror, one of several in a collection.

See the full previews at Sotheby's.

Watch: The History of the Eames Aluminum Group Chair

Eames Aluminum Chair, a short film by Eames Demetrios, via vitra's facebook.

Spaces: Iain Halliday: Von Mueffling Residence, Manhattan

A follow-up to an earlier Daily Dose, Iain Halliday crafts the perflect blend of Manhattan Modernism with Hollywood Glamour. From an article by Jill Gerston:

Can an Australian accustomed to sun-drenched beaches, shaded verandas, and vast expanses of green find happiness living in the asphalt canyons of Manhattan?

Absolutely, according to Kiane von Mueffling, a Sydney transplant ensconced with her husband, Charlie, and their 15-month-old son, Oliver, in a towering prewar building whose top 12 floors have been converted from commercial space into residential apartments.

The enormous windows in the Von Muefflings’ living room command impressive views of the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, a verdant six-acre oasis. “It’s like living in the treetops.”

Kiane wanted the apartment to reflect her passion for jaw-dropping Hollywood glamour in the style of decorators Dorothy Draper and Tony Duquette. Her husband wanted practicality and comfort. To combine these sensibilities into a look she describes as “modern, livable, and luxurious without being overdone,” she hired designer Iain Halliday of the Australian firm BKH. Halliday tempered his client’s haute-glam tendencies while Kiane brought a touch of dazzle to the designer’s minimalist aesthetic.

Back-to-back silk velvet sofas divide the living room into a formal entertaining area and a family spot where the couple can watch Glee and play with Oliver. With its mix of modern and antique pieces—a wire-frame Knoll chair, a pair of Louis XVI bergères, a 1960s Baker cocktail table—the clean, elegant space flows seamlessly, thanks to a geometric patterned rug and a gray tufted leather window seat that runs the length of the room.

Furnishings include a Warren Platner lounge chair, silk Executive chairs by Eero Saarinen, and a 1950's Italian gilt Sheaf of Wheat side table. The silk velvet sofa is based on a rare Mies van der Rohe design for Knoll.

Photos by William Waldron, styled by JC Garcia-Lavin, via Elle Decor.

An interview with Kelly Wearstler

A great interview with Kelly Wearstler, where she talks about her life, her influences, and her own glamorous brand of maximalist modernism.

Fresh Finds: Airborne, Raak, Studio Mascagni + more

A sleek and chic pair of Storm chairs recently reupholstered in plush button-tufted pewter velvet. From the renowned French firm Airborne, whose design staff included the likes of Olivier Mourgue and Pierre Guariche.





A classic Sheaf of Wheat side table base in gilt steel. Despite its Italian origin, this design became the epitome of Parisian chic when both Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent utilized them in their own homes.

Signed with metal tag MADE IN ITALY.





A sleek pair of table lamps from the renowned Amsterdam design studio Raak, featuring brushed aluminum posts that pierce through translucent acrylic dome shades. The shades are mounted by perforated aluminum discs that provide heat ventilation for the double bulb sockets. Minimalist in form, maximalist in style.





An elegantly designed pair of Modernist serving trays in black lacquer, brass, and glass. From the Bologna-based design studio founded in 1930 by Umberto and Elsa Mascagni.




A glamorous 1950s Modernist ceramic lamp featuring a metallic gold glaze over a woven patterned surface.

Via Modern Love, with many more great finds to come.